Article Index

Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is a specific form of illegal harassment that requires more explanation. The University bases its definition of sexual harassment on information provided by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). According to EEOC guidelines, sexual harassment includes, but is not necessarily limited to unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:

Submission to or rejection of such conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual’s employment;Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual; orSuch conduct unreasonably interferes with an individual’s work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment.

Sexual harassment can occur in a variety of circumstances, including but not limited to the following:

The victim as well as the harasser may be a woman or man.The victim does not have to be of the opposite sex.The harasser can be the victim’s supervisor, an agent of the employer, and a supervisor in another area, a co-worker, or a non- employee.Unlawful sexual harassment may occur without economic injury to or discharge of the victim.The harasser’s conduct must be unwelcome.